Q.  What are your hours?

A.  11:00am – 6:00pm on weekends. Tastings are by Appointment only due to their specialized format.

Q.  May we bring/eat our own food?

A.  Our tastings are formatted to highlight specialized pairings of wine with food. Therefore, picnics are not allowed.

Q.  May we bring our dogs or children ?

A.  Because the John Marshall Home at Oak Hill is quite historic, we do not accommodate dogs or children on this property. However, dogs and kids are welcome in the tasting room at Barrel Oak Winery.

Q. Is there a dress code for The John Marshall Tasting Experience?

A. The John Marshall Tasting Experience is designed to take your senses to the next level.While we are not fashion hounds, we recommend a dressier casual wardrobe for your visit in order to elevate the sensory experience. Ladies and gentlemen are advised to refrain from using overpowering fragrance, and comfortable shoes are ideal.

Q.  Do you offer tours?

A.  Not at this time.

Q.  May we go into the vineyard?

A.  Please check-in at the winery to ensure you don’t get mowed down by Brian on the Z-turn, and please close the deer gate behind you when you enter/exit the vineyard.

Q.  May we take an opened bottle home with us in the car?

A.  You may, but it has to be corked and in a bag or box.

Q.  What other vineyards are close by?

A.  Please visit our friends at Three Fox, Vintage Ridge, Miracle Valley, Chateau O’Brien, Naked Mountain, Philip Carter, Rappahannock Cellars, Delaplane Cellars, Hume Vineyards, Cobbler Mountain, Capitol Vineyards, Desert Rose….well, you get the point.  There are nearly 200 wineries and vineyards in Virginia, many of which are just a few minutes from us!

Q.  Where can we get a good meal?

A.  Forlano’s Market, The Rail Stop or Girasole in the Plains.  Iron Bridge Wine Bar or Claire’s at the Depot in Warrenton.  Ashby Inn in Paris, Upperville brings you Hunter’s Head, Goodstone Inn and Blackthorne Inn.  If you want something in the cheap eats, in Marshall you have Old Salem Restaurant and the Marshall Diner, or Faang Thai or Molly’s Irish Pub in Warrenton.

Q.  Are all the grapes from your vineyard?

A.  No, our first estate harvest was in Fall 2009.  Our wines are made from our grapes, in addition from grapes purchased at small family vineyards located throughout Virginia.

Q.  Is the wine made on the property?

A.  Yes, indeed.  All our wine is made on premises at Barrel Oak Winery.

Q.  How long have you been in business?

A.  The first planting was April 2007.  Barrel Oak Winery opened its doors in May of the following year.  Everything that you see here has been done since then.  Including this newest chapter, the John Marshall Tasting Experience at Oak Hill.

Q.  Can we keep the glass?

A.  No. Our specialized glasses are formatted exclusively for our flight tastings.

Q.  Can we bring my shower/reception/business meeting/etc., here?

A.  Please contact our events manager to arrange a consultation.

Q.  What grapes do you grow on the property?

A.  We have 10 varietals on the property.  Traminette, Vidal Blanc, Seyval Blanc, Chambourcin, Petit Manseng, Petit Verdot, Merlot, Norton, Chardonnay and Viognier.  All in all, we have about 20,000 vines producing about 90 tons of fruit, or about half our expected production needs.

Q.  How many cases of wine does Barrel Oak Winery produce?

A.  We opened with 2800 cases in 2008 and this fall we plan on producing over 10,000 cases of wine – 2000 of which will be Chief Justice Cellars

Q.  How many grapes do you need to make wine?

A.  One to one-and-one-half vines produces the two-and-a-half pounds of grapes contained in every bottle of wine.  That means a ton of grapes can yield about 800 bottles or 60 – 65 cases of wine.  We produce roughly 200 cases of wine from each acre.

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Barrel Oak Winery & Oak Hill Estate | Brian & Sharon | Frequently Asked Questions